Martyr’s Day celebrated around the world

Assyrians around the world come together to honor victims

Tarzana, CA – Spectators in Chicago previewed an original film entitled “The Assyrian Journey.” On the opposite side of the world, others in Wiesbaden, Germany discussed with a panel of politicians and churchgoers the Assyrian status quo. Hours later, organizations in Turlock, Calif. hosted an assembly that attracted hundreds of local residents. The events, though staggered across time zones and hemispheres, marked a singular occasion: Assyrian Martyrs’ Day.

The commemorative processions take place annually on Aug. 7, a date the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) officially designated in 1970 (read more here). The event was initially intended to honor victims of the Simele Massacre of 1933. As acceptance of the date grew more widespread, the magnitude of the holiday expanded to immortalize the memory of martyrs of prior tragedies.

“We must develop the 7th of August into a Memorial Day for all of these martyrs, so that we can bring the children of this nation together as a single entity to commemorate these people and events,” says a notice on AUA’s website.

Decades after the establishment of the holiday, Assyrians across the globe came together once again on Aug. 7, 2018 sharing poetry, art and music in reverence of victims of massacre and genocide and in effort to highlight their relevance in modern Assyrian culture.

Notions of memorialization exceeded beyond the Assyrian population; in Turlock, California, State Congressman Heath Flora and Turlock Mayor Gary Soiseth resolved to delegate Aug. 7, 2018 as Assyrian Genocide Remembrance Day. A second, more solemn ceremony on Aug. 8 brought, between hands doling dokhrana, the attendance of U.S. Congressman Jeff Denham, who explained his work to help Assyrians in Iraq with legislation he proposed entitled the Nineveh Plains Restoration Act.

“It is important that the parents teach their kids at home about the Assyrian identity and history so that they will have the wish to participate and work for the cause,” said Yousip Pithyou, a member of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, at Wiesbaden’s Martyrs’ Day event.

Be the first to commenton "Martyr’s Day celebrated around the world"

Dallas, TX – “I started playing soccer in my village. It was a reason to get together as Assyrians every week. We would play soccer and then go eat or hang out. I eventually played for the Assyrian club in Urmi. When I moved to San Jose, I helped found the Infinite Sports Association. Now in Dallas, it’s funny that there are a lot of empty soccer fields that you don’t get elsewhere. We used to pay a lot of money to get a couple hours to play on this type of field. In San Jose, for two hours we would pay almost $250 and here in Dallas this field is free with beautiful grass, free goals, everything free.”

Chicago, IL – “I never get tired of traveling because I travel for my people and enjoy accomplishing something for my nation. I also love people watching. That’s why I go to the airport an hour earlier, just to sit around and watch everyone and listen to my podcasts. I love people and I get joyful when I hear them laughing. We need more happiness in the world. We don’t see it anymore. Everyone’s head is down, everyone is looking at their phones, everyone is so intense. There is so much conflict in the world, you don’t see anyone laugh anymore. So when I do see those glimpses of joy and happiness, it makes me so happy.”

Chicago, IL – “I grew up in a bad country and couldn’t talk about anything, even our flag because you were always scared of the government. A lot of people don’t know how this flag is special for people. That’s why we do this in our yard, because we want people to recognize that if we didn’t have this American flag then we wouldn’t be sitting in this house today. People fought for this flag, for this freedom so we can sit here together and talk about being both Assyrian and American. You lose one of your identities if you don’t.”

Dallas, TX – “Having grown up in the West, one of the positives is that my girls have the ability to empower themselves. For me, raising girls here is similar to raising boys. I’m going to teach them what I know, whether it’s science, engineering, you name it, it doesn’t make a difference to me their gender. There is no glass ceiling from my perspective, I want them to be as successful as they can be.”

Dallas, TX – “With motherhood, you first think of all of those happy times of sitting down and playing and going out. But it’s more about giving all of who you are, everything you have, plus more. When you think to yourself, ‘I’ve given everything I have,’ and then they wake up at night one more time and you say, ‘I have to do this again, I have to give more after I’ve already given everything.’ It’s the hardest job and it takes everything out of you, but it’s worth it and you would do it all over again when you see them happy.”

Chicago, IL – “I started vlogging to have a more highly produced version of an archive of my life. This year’s vlog of the Assyrian convention is footage from a lot of different things. It’s both the pool parties and something more in-depth and cultural, so a mix of both. I also did a lot of things that doing a vlog for wouldn’t do justice, like the youth summit. You have to be there for that, it’s not the same to see it, you have to be there and interact with people. One day I’m going to look back and have all of these memories nicely produced of what I did at this convention. I encourage everyone to do it.”